2018 - The Power of Public Works

Reuben has worked with us less than three years in the Water Division. Before that, he worked in residential construction.

Reuben helps maintain fire hydrants, water valves, and water services across the city; looks for leaks in the water system; and repairs water main breaks.This day, he was working with a crew at West Michigan Avenue and Broadway Boulevard, replacing a hydrant dating to the 1930s or '40s.

Hydrant maintenance is a job Reuben enjoys, because there's always something needed to maintain them, and it's above-ground work that's visible to neighbors. Underground, there are 450 miles of drinking water distribution lines.

Meet Kirk VanDeMoortel! It's National Public Works Week, and we'll be introducing some of our awesome team members to demonstrate The Power of Public Works.Kirk has worked in our Public Works Records Division for about a year and a half, coming from work at WOW! and Comcast.In that time, Kirk already has sorted through and digitized one-quarter of the paper records the city keeps -- tap slips for new water and sewer connections, street maps, final construction project drawings, property easements, and more. Maps and tap slips are permanent records, so we'll always keep the paper, along with our digital system.Kirk handles design tickets -- locating and sharing records with firms handling projects in the city. He also locates utilities ahead of projects -- MISS DIG.He considers the utility location -- marking all city utilities -- an important job. We don't want anyone to dig blindly and hit a water, sewer, or any utility line.Here, Kirk was locating the sewer line at the former Toys 'R Us property, on Beckley Road (he's holding his painter and green marker flags). He painted from this manhole, to the back of the building, using a bent flag post to help guide him above ground.

Tad has worked with our Engineering Division for six years, first as a Tech II, and now he's a civil engineer, after earning his license two years ago.

A big part of Tad's job, which he enjoys, is guiding projects from "field to finish." This means doing land surveys, creating ground surface models, calculating storm water capacity, handling requirements for our MS4 state permit (related to storm water drainage), designing a project, seeking bids and choosing the contractor and, finally, creating "as-builts," adjusting the plan to how a project actually was built. A project has many, many steps, both behind the scenes, and on site!

"You get to see a job completely through to fruition," he said.

This year, Tad is managing the water main project on Weeks Avenue. His favorite projects have been the Festival Market Square improvements, downtown; the last phase of Michigan Avenue construction in 2012; and the Lynwood culverts project.

"That was nice because it really solved an issue," he said of Lynwood.

It's National Public Works Week, and we'll be introducing some of our awesome team members to demonstrate The Power of Public Works.

Josh has worked as a Fleet Services mechanic for about 2.5 years -- before that he ran his own, and others' automotive shops.

In Fleet, Josh helps take care of every piece of equipment with a motor operating in the city -- from chainsaw up to fire truck. Josh and the team build police cars, perform regular maintenance on the equipment (oil changes, brakes, you name it), and fabricate new pieces to make our equipment operate at its best.

Josh recently built safety lights for Truck 510, which will especially help the crew working with that truck during night hours.

Some vehicles are unique and complex, like the Vactor sewer cleaning truck. Josh said it's like three types of equipment on one chassis. His favorite is the big tub grinder, which typically works out at Brice Pit, grinding brush and trees into wood chips.

The public doesn't directly see Fleet, but the work is important -- "If the trucks are out, and what you need is getting done, it's because Fleet is doing its job," Josh said.

It's National Public Works Week, and we'll be introducing some of our awesome team members to demonstrate The Power of Public Works.

Kacie is celebrating 20 years with the city this year -- she started in 1998 as a seasonal teammate, patching potholes. She worked in Field Services for a few years -- brand-new Kacie drove brand-new truck 261, which is also still with the city! In 2001 she moved to Water Distribution, and in 2015, to the Water Meter Shop.

Kacie's job now is to spend time in neighbors' basements -- she's met hundreds of you -- making sure water meters are updated, valves are operational, and that plumbing is current. Sometimes this can result in extra costs for our neighbors.

"It's to provide safe drinking water to people," she said. "We make darn sure we do our jobs."

Kacie sees the the water system as a cardiovascular system, with our Verona Pumping Station as the heart -- she works on the little capillaries that come to homes and businesses.

She likes best running the wiring to the meter readers, and has a drill bit that's two feet long, to help drill through walls. At our own Full Blast, she worked on an 18-foot ladder running wire up high, so it's all hidden and safe. "It's the most challenging," she said.

Meet Amber Whitcomb! It's National Public Works Week, and we'll be introducing some of our awesome team members to demonstrate The Power of Public Works.We're back in the Water Division, where Amber has worked with us for about two years. She's actually worked with the city for 10 years total, starting out as a seasonal employee, mowing grass, and moving around the Department of Public Works. When you call 966-3506 with your water questions, you'll probably speak to Amber! She spends much of her time answering the phone, and neighbors' questions about water and the processes we use related to the water system.She also handles paperwork for projects, including notification door hangers, sets up appointments with neighbors to make sure meters are working properly, and processes water work orders."We're the ones who get the water to them," she said. "Protecting the water is our biggest goal -- we want to make sure it's safe and clean."Amber answers a LOT of questions about our water system, and that's her favorite part of the job -- "I do like to work with people."It's all about family for Amber -- her dad is a foreman at our Waste Water Treatment Plant, and her brother works for the Cereal City Development Corp.! But beyond that, she's passionate about the work family dynamic."I'm big on teamwork -- teamwork makes the dream work," she said. And in her 10 years, she's happy to see the entire Department of Public Works working better together as a team.

It's National Public Works Week, and we'll be introducing some of our awesome team members to demonstrate The Power of Public Works.

Brad has worked in Field Services for about a year, coming over from the Water Division, and he's been with the city just over two years. Before that, he drove a Vactor sewer cleaning truck for the Gull Lake Sewer Authority.

He likes Field Services the best -- here, he's standing with the dump truck he uses to follow the street sweepers across the city. He also patches potholes, trims trees, paves, and occasionally runs the equipment at Brice Pit, our compost site. He plows snow in the winter, and enjoys that, and patching potholes, the most.

"It's fun -- you can see what you do," he said. "There's a sense of gratification. When you're out plowing or patching potholes, everybody says 'thank you.'"

Brad describes Field Services work as identifying problem areas before they become problems that you see -- like looking for downed trees, or removing animals killed along the road.

His note to neighbors during snow plowing season is to please move your cars from the street - if you can - after a big snow.

"It's nice to have them off, so we don't have to leave that big pile of snow next to their tire," he said.

Dan has worked most of his 14 years with the city in the Sewer Division, and is a foreman in this group. He and a staff of 11 make sure that all sewage/waste water makes it to our Waste Water Treatment Plant for treatment, and that all storm water makes it to retention ponds, and doesn't collect on the streets.

This is no small task. The city has: -8,284 storm inlets -4,025 storm manholes -196 miles of piping That doesn't include additional manholes and pipe miles in surrounding municipalities that are part of our sewer collection system.

When Dan and his crew build something new, it gets covered with dirt! Unless you see them working, you might not realize the scope of sewer system. It's also good to know that you should not dump grease down the drain, and you should never flush wipes, no matter what they say. These things cause clogs.

Dan's favorite part of the job is, "my people. You can have brand new equipment, but ... without them, nothing would get done."

Paul is helping us celebrate the upcoming summer season in Battle Creek!

He has worked with us for more than 11 years in the Sign Shop. "I love the Sign Shop!" he said.

Did you know we make 100 percent of our street signs? Don't miss a chance to see the special Public Works episode of Keeping You Informed this month, because Paul walks you through how it's done! (http://accessvision.tv/videos, choose Keeping You Informed, then DPW Tour).

We also make lots of other signs, logos, and vehicle decals -- "We make signs for everybody, just about," Paul said.

Paul likes going out in the community and seeing his "stamp" on the city. Signs are powerful, since they help us know where to go, and what to do. He's a Lakeview alum, so he especially likes to see the state champion signs posted around town -- that he made for the district!

You'll see Paul and the team around the airport soon enough... it's almost time for us to place the hundreds of detour and informational signs that help the Battle Creek Field of Flight Air Show & Balloon Festival run smoothly! It takes weeks to install these signs.

Paul said he's heard there might be 40,000 signs in the city, but really "wouldn't even be able to guess how many." Needless to say, there are a lot!